Our View: Urban Medeiros is a cut above

Fall River hairstylist Urban Medeiros' professional credentials are impressive. He has been a stylist to the stars over his 47-year career. But while Medeiros can offer his clients a fresh look at his downtown Urban Elements Salon, he's also able to offer others a fresh start — at his Upper Room Recovery House. Medeiros runs a private halfway house in the South End for men struggling with addiction issues.

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By Herald News Editorial Board

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Herald News Editorial Board

Posted Jun. 23, 2014 at 4:35 PM

By Herald News Editorial Board

Posted Jun. 23, 2014 at 4:35 PM

» Social News

Fall River hairstylist Urban Medeiros’ professional credentials are impressive. He has been a stylist to the stars over his 47-year career. But while Medeiros can offer his clients a fresh look at his downtown Urban Elements Salon, he’s also able to offer others a fresh start — at his Upper Room Recovery House. Medeiros runs a private halfway house in the South End for men struggling with addiction issues.

It’s a cause close to his heart. Medeiros had to seek help for his own struggles with addiction 19 years ago. Now he’s paying it forward.

Medeiros has a large family, with two children of his own, 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. He’s also been a foster dad and he’s adopted seven children.

His extended family keeps growing with the men he helps rescue from the grips of addiction. He thinks of his flock as his new fosters.

The sense of family they find at Upper Room instills and reinforces the values of unconditional love, self-esteem and personal responsibility that some of these men may have never known or perhaps have lost along the way.

Medeiros does not have a degree in social work or any related fields, but his life experience gives him great insight when it comes to helping others get clean.

After beating his own struggles with addiction, Medeiros became a volunteer for Stanley Street Treatment and Resources and got to know others fighting similar battles. That’s when he felt the calling to open a recovery house to help others.

Medeiros runs the recovery house without government funding. It is sustained through the rental payments from residents, his own money and some outside donations. Some of the men have been referred to Medeiros from local agencies. And some were even personally rescued by Medeiros, such as resident Brian Miville, who was soliciting change outside of a doughnut shop downtown when Medeiros “bought me a cup of coffee and brought me here.” Miville credits Upper Room with giving him a new lease on life.

At the house, residents are expected to help with chores, attend recovery meetings, deliver pastries to other men’s shelters and work in the Sacred Heart Church Soup Kitchen. They also are encouraged to nourish their faith, with access to the chapel. Residents are expected to live cleanly and help others in need.

Fall River, where so many struggle with addiction, is fortunate to have compassionate people like Urban Medeiros making our community a stronger place and setting a positive example for others to follow.